Formerly courted by Quebec, Scotland is now out of fashion: Prime Minister François Legault, on a mission in Edinburgh and Glasgow until Friday, has not attempted to meet his Scottish counterpart, Nicola Sturgeon.
No request was made in this direction, according to what was confirmed by the office of the Premier of Quebec.
Quebec maintains direct relations with several partners, notably Bavaria, Catalonia, Scotland and California. During her tenure, Prime Minister Pauline Marois had a meeting with her opposite, Alex Salmond, in Edinburgh.
It must be said that Mr. Salmond was at the head of an independence party, the SNP, and wanted to achieve the sovereignty of Scotland … just like Nicola Sturgeon.
It aims in particular to organize a referendum on independence in 2023.
Prime Minister François Legault’s spokesperson limited himself to saying that the Ministry of International Relations, which deals with the missions of the head of government, has not requested a meeting with Ms. Sturgeon.
He did not specify why no request was made. On the other hand, as is customary, the government of Quebec had notified the Prime Minister’s visit to the authorities of the United Kingdom and Scotland.
Mr. Legault spent most of the week in Scotland, taking part in the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, which took place in Glasgow.
He met with several dignitaries, including Prince Charles, former US Secretary of State John Kerry, and President Biden’s climate adviser Gina McCarthy.
Mr. Legault also spoke with several senior executives of large industrial companies.
Quebec has actively pursued an international policy since the establishment in the 1960s of the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine, which advocates the extension on the international scene of Quebec’s powers (education, health, culture, etc.).